The Girl of Colours (Book TWO)

Night Terror

"Mum, Callie, something's happened." Luke told us carefully as we were working to undo something. "At school, Mister Chandra called me into his office, because he thinks I should take my A-levels in June."

That made me look up at him in confusion. "But we've just started sixth form."

He sighed a little, and I saw in his eyes that he really wanted to go. "I know, but, well, I'm clever, aren't I? It's why he thinks I could get into Oxford. He says I could go to university a year early. Mum, Cal?"

"And you think now's the time to be telling us this?" Sarah asked incredulously, tugging on the handcuffs we were attached to, my hand crammed in with his, meaning any sonic activity would end up breaking his wrist, or Sarah Jane's.

"Bomb activation initiated. Bomb activation initiated. Bomb activation initiated."

A Slitheen entered then, and I was really confused as to why they kept trying to invade here, we'd knocked these guys back more times than anyone else. "Goodbye, Miss Smiths." It was official. I was changing my last name, there were too many Smiths around here. "My ship is ready to go. I'd offer you a lift, but you're all tied up."

And then Rani ran in with K9 and Clyde. "K9, stop the bomb!"

"Affirmative."

"You escaped?" The Slitheen asked her in shock as K9 worked on it. "No!"

Clyde has a red fire bucket full of liquid, and he readied himself to throw it. "We warned you but you wouldn't listen."

He looked at my friend in complete confusion. "You think you can stop me with a bucket?"

"A bucket full of vinegar."

To which he threw it over the Slitheens abdomen. "Not again." Sarah Jane sighed, as Luke wrapped his arms around me as best he could, getting the brunt of the green slime as it exploded all over us.

"Bomb neutralised, Mistress." 

And then Luke let go a little, looking between me and Sarah Jane. "Well, Mum? Callie? Oxford?"

I stayed silent, the idea of being here without him sending my hearts into panic, so his mum answered. "I think you need to do what's right for you. So yes, Luke, I think you should go."

Throughout the year of 6th Form, Luke and I drifted apart, because I really... The idea of him going wasn't... It terrified me, and every time I tried to talk to him, I just wanted to cry, and he'd eventually stopped trying to talk to me as I'd lock myself in my room as soon as we got back from school or I'd go around Rani's.

But Results Day came soon enough, after a year of me not really trying anything, only taking music, french, physics, because dad would murder me otherwise, and history. I picked up my envelope with Rani and Clyde, earlier in the day, while Sarah Jane and Luke had some time together.

"OK, open them in 3... 2... 1..." Rani smiled, opening mine, while I opened Clyde's and he opened Rani's. "OK, Clyde, you first."

We both did a drum roll, before he said what she got. "In Maths... B. In Biology... A! In English.... A*! And in French, well, you got a C!"

I hugged her tight, knowing that she struggled with the first year of French. "Well done, Rani! Ok, how did I do?"

Drum roll again, before she started to read mine. "French, and this is just what I'm reading instead of a grade, because we know what you'd have, Calliope is capable of speaking fluent French in both modern and historical context, as though she lived through the Renaissance, then modern day Paris. Physics, Calliope is a very bright girl, knowing the most complex of equations and she can almost control the wavelengths psychically at how advanced she is. History, well, that speaks for itself, and music. Callie is the most talented student I have ever seen, not even a student, she is Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Hayley Williams rolled into one, and uses pain in her life to compose the most beautiful of compositions." Rani paused, like she was unsure about what she read. "Pain? Callie, what was that final piece you did?"